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1 Samuel 28:3
Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.

lamented

Genesis 50:11
And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, Thisis a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, whichis beyond Jordan.

Numbers 20:29
And when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days,even all the house of Israel.

Deuteronomy 34:8
And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weepingand mourning for Moses were ended.

in this house

1 Samuel 7:17
And his returnwas to Ramah; for therewas his house; and there he judged Israel; and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

1 Kings 2:34
So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

2 Chronicles 33:20
So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

the wilderness

Genesis 14:6
And the Horites in their mount Seir, unto Elparan, whichis by the wilderness.

Genesis 21:21
And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

Numbers 10:12
And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of Sinai; and the cloud rested in the wilderness of Paran.

all Israel gathered to mourn for him
The gathering of "all Israel" indicates the widespread respect and influence Samuel had across the tribes. Mourning customs in ancient Israel included lamentation, fasting, and wearing sackcloth. This collective mourning underscores the unity of the nation in recognizing Samuel's impact. It also reflects the cultural importance of communal expressions of grief for significant leaders.

and they buried him at his home in Ramah
Ramah, Samuel's birthplace and home, was located in the hill country of Ephraim. It was a central location for his ministry and served as a base for his circuit as a judge. The burial at his home signifies a return to his roots and the honor given to him by being laid to rest in his own land. This practice was common in ancient Israel, where family burial sites were often located on ancestral property.

Then David set out and went down to the Wilderness of Paran
David's departure to the Wilderness of Paran follows the tension with Saul, who sought his life. The Wilderness of Paran is a desert region south of Judah, providing a strategic location for David to evade Saul's pursuit. This movement also reflects David's status as a fugitive and his reliance on God for protection. The wilderness experience is a recurring theme in the Bible, often symbolizing a place of testing and preparation, as seen in the lives of Moses and Jesus.

• The prophet who anointed both Saul and David (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13) now passes from the scene. His death marks the close of an era in which God spoke to the nation through one central, faithful voice (1 Samuel 3:19–21).

• Similar transitions appear when Joshua died (Judges 2:8) and when Moses died (Deuteronomy 34:5–7), each time signaling fresh chapters in Israel’s journey.

• Samuel’s lifetime of integrity leaves a vacuum that neither Saul’s unstable reign nor Israel’s scattered priesthood can immediately fill (1 Samuel 15:26–28).

• “All Israel” reflects national recognition of Samuel’s spiritual authority, much like the weeping for Moses (Deuteronomy 34:8) or for Aaron (Numbers 20:29).

• Public mourning underscores how deeply righteous leadership is valued; compare the lament for the godly King Josiah (2 Chronicles 35:24–25).

• By gathering together, tribes that were often divided (1 Samuel 11:7–8) unite in grief, demonstrating the unifying power of a godly life.

• Ramah had been Samuel’s birthplace and lifelong base of ministry (1 Samuel 7:17). Burying him there honored both his family heritage and his service among the people.

• Burial in one’s own territory was a sign of honor (Genesis 50:13 for Jacob;Joshua 24:30 for Joshua).

• Unlike Saul’s later desperate visit to Endor (1 Samuel 28:3–7), Samuel’s burial signifies a life finished well, at peace with God and man.

• With Samuel gone and Saul still hunting him (1 Samuel 24:2), David seeks fresh refuge. The Wilderness of Paran lies south of Judah, near the Negev, offering seclusion (Numbers 10:12).

• God often uses wilderness seasons to shape leaders: Moses in Midian (Exodus 3:1), Elijah at Horeb (1 Kings 19:4–8), and even Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4:1–2).

• David’s move also sets the stage for the next narrative—the encounter with Nabal and Abigail (1 Samuel 25:2–42)—showing how God continues to guide him even while Saul remains king.

1 Samuel 25:1 records a national funeral and a personal relocation. Samuel’s death ends a prophetic era and draws Israel together in grief; his burial in Ramah honors his lifelong service. Immediately, David journeys deeper into desert exile, trusting God’s leading while political uncertainty swirls. The verse links past faithfulness with future promise, reminding readers that even when notable servants die, God’s redemptive plan marches on.

And all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him.--"When the hour of his death came, we are told, with a peculiar emphasis of expression, thatallthe Israelites--not one portion or fragment only, as might have been expected in that time of division and confusion--were gathered together round him who had been the father of all alike, and lamented him, and buried him, not in any sacred spot or secluded sepulchre, but in the midst of the home which he had consecrated only by his own long, unblemished career in his house at Ramah."--Stanley,Jewish Church,Lect. 18 Josephus makes especial mention of the public funeral honours paid to the great prophet. "They wept for him a very great number of days, not looking on it as a sorrow for the death of another man, but as that in which they were all concerned. He was a righteous man, and gentle in his nature, and on that account he was very dear to God."--Antt. vi. 13, ? 5. F. W. Krummacher beautifully writes on this public lamentation. "It was as if from the noble star, as long as it shone in the heaven of the Holy Land, though veiled by clouds, there streamed a mild, beneficial light over all Israel; now the light was extinguished in Israel." It is probable by "in his house," the court or garden attached to the prophet's house is signified. To have buried him literally in his house would have occasioned perpetual ceremonial defilement. We read also of Manasseh the king being "buried in his own house" (2Chronicles 33:20), which is explained in2Kings 21:18 by the words, "in the garden of his own house." In modern times Samuel's grave is pointed out in a cave underneath the floor of the Mahommedan Mosque on Nebi Samuel, a lofty peak above Gibeon, which still bears his honoured name. There is, however, a tradition that his remains--or what purported to be his remains--were removed with royal pomp from Ramah to Constantinople by the Emperor Arcadius, at the beginning of the fifth century.

The wilderness of Paran.--The LXX. (Vatican) read "Maon" instead of "Paran," not conceiving it probable that the scene of David's camp would be so far removed from Maon and Carmel, the localities where the following events took place. "Paran" is properly the south of the Arabian peninsula, west of Sinai; "but it seems to have given its name to the vast extent of pasture and barren land now known as the Desert of El Tih. Of this the wilderness of Judah and Beersheba would virtually form part, without the borders being strictly defined. The LXX. emendation, therefore, is quite unnecessary.--Dean Payne Smith.